Firewater - International Orange!
Sixteen years and seven albums in, considering main man Tod A's help in paving the way for (and sharing musicians with) bands such as Gogol Bordello and Balkan Beatbox, it's surprising that Firewater are still virtual unknowns over here.
"We don't wanna spill no blood, we just want a little revolution" sings Tod on infectious opener A Little Revolution, with its Indian vibe and polite threats of dissent. Glitter Days opens with a middle eastern-sounding melody played, I believe, on a Zurna and builds to a percussive and upbeat climax in contrast with Tod's typically downbeat and poetic lyrics 'plans are broken bottle on the beach'.
Dead Man's Boots is an amalgam of Circus music, mixed with Ska and Bollywood Spaghetti Western. Up from the Underground sees Firewater rioting again- "A few Molotov Cocktails are all that we need"- a recurring theme throughout the album, and not surprising when you consider it was created in Tel Aviv and Istanbul during the 'Arab Spring' demonstrations, while Ex-Millionaire Mambo is the tale of a 'Have' becoming a Have-Not' during the recent financial crisis.
Lyrically International Orange! has Firewater's customary juxtaposition of down-beat, darkly humourous, lyrical negativity with upbeat 'world'-flavoured music, but social commentary/political finger-pointing seems to be a slightly more obvious factor than on previous albums. There are still autobiographical touches on tracks like the laid-back Mariachi-tinged Feeling No Pain; "I live on beer and cigarettes, it hasn't seemed to kill me yet", the poignant sounding Strange Life and Tropical Depression is a seriously jaunty little number that seems to see Tod reminiscing about leaving NY for a "tropical and lazy clime".
Through various musical styles, from Bhangra to Mambo to Ska, with plenty in between, the strength of Tod A's songwriting shines, and binds what could be a disjointed shambles in less skilful hands into a cohesive album. It doesn't matter what style of music you're into, you have no excuse for not picking up a copy of International Orange!